Edgerton celebrates grand opening of new fire hall and municipal building

Village Councillor Wanda Herbert and Mayor Barb Sjoquist helped cook up some burgers and hot dogs for the crowd during Monday’s celebration.

After years of planning and fundraising, the Village of Edgerton and the Edgerton Fire Department held a grand opening celebration to show off their brand new fire hall and municipal building on Monday, June 5. The celebration included a barbecue, speeches from local dignitaries, as well as tours of the new facility.

The new fire hall is spacious and features six apparatus bays, which Edgerton Fire Department Chief John Koroluk says is a major upgrade in comparison to the small two-bay facility the department used to operate out of. Koroluk expressed how excited he and the department members are to be moved in to the new fire hall during his address to the crowd at Monday’s event.

“For those who are familiar with not only this department, but this community, you will also be familiar with the building that we came from…It was a re-purposed shop with two bays, which we fit all three of our fire trucks in…We did everything from that little building. We were happy with that building because we had a place to call home. While we were happy with that building, we recognized the fact that we had grown from it. We had moved past it and we needed something bigger for our purposes,” said Koroluk.

“Today we celebrate the grand opening of not only this fire hall, but the municipal building as a whole. It goes to show that this community and this department are standing taller than ever.”

With a number of local organizations and community members who played a role in making the dream of a new fire hall a reality, Koraluk took the time to thank everyone who helped with the fundraising and construction of the new facility.

“This community recognized the need for a department – one that held itself to a very high standard – and a need to have a building that fitted that calibre of department. To see where we’ve come even in the three short years that I’ve been the chief here is nothing short of absolutely remarkable. I couldn’t be more proud of the members and the village of Edgerton for supporting this department as much as they do.”

Attached to the new fire hall is the Village’s new municipal building, which features an upgraded Village office, as well as a new public library. Edgerton Mayor Barb Sjoquist says she could not be more pleased with the way the new facility came together, and she was happy to have a chance to celebrate with the community on Monday.

“It feels really good to be in the new building. Something I’ve struggled with is celebrating our successes along the way. We just keep busy doing things and going on to the next project, so to take time out to ponder how we’ve done this and all the people that have been part of it and the history, planning and work, to see it completed, it feels really good,” said Sjoquist.

“I’m really proud of the building, the library and how it’s situated and put together and everybody that’s been part of the process.”

With the village’s 100th anniversary celebration coming up in August, Sjoquist says the community has been hard at work to ensure Edgerton is looking its best for the weekend-long event. The anniversary celebration is anticipated to draw in hundreds of visitors from out of town, including former residents, and Sjoquist says she is looking forward to showing off the new municipal building.

“Some people haven’t been back in the community for 20, 30 or 40 years, so to see them come back and see what main street looks like today versus what it looked like when they were here, I’m excited to see that and hear their responses on it and how they see the community. That will be exciting,” said Sjoquist.